Warwick photographer lands large display

A large truck is seen reflected on another truck in "Fender Bender," a photo taken at a Deerfield auto show. Wyatt’s work will be on display at the MassMutual Center in Springfield through October.Photo by Tom Wyatt

A slick street and manhole cover take on the red hue of a Greenfield traffic light in "After the Rain."Photo by Tom Wyatt

WARWICK — Local photographer Tom Wyatt is gearing up for his biggest show yet.

Wyatt will be one of five western Massachusetts artists on display at the MassMutual Center in Springfield through October. The exhibit opens with a free artists’ reception from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday.

“I’m excited about the showing in Springfield,” said Wyatt. “It was juried by some prestigious institutions. Being selected feels like a big vote of confidence.”

Wyatt changed his format to fit the show, producing four 30-by-40-inch prints and one 60-by-40-inch hanging. All five are printed on aluminum backings, using a heat-infusing process that took a lot of trial and error, he said.

“The big advantage of these prints is that they have great luminosity, appearing like they’re projected,” he said.

Wyatt creates his abstract images by photographing everyday sights, scenes, colors and light through their reflections on water, windows, car parts and other shiny surfaces.

“I love the sense of mystery and illusion that can come with reflections,” he said. “I think of it as giving people a ‘visual vacation.’”

While he does tweak his images on the computer, Wyatt keeps editing to a minimum. He may crop or rotate an image, or do some minor color correction, but he says all this is done to reproduce the image as he saw it.

Though Wyatt made a living for five years by taking paying work as a photographer, from portraits to advertising, his dream is to support himself through his artwork.

He’s worked out deals to license his abstract work for use on cellphone cases, as well as shower curtains and furniture dressings, and hopes it catches the eye of interior designers.

He hopes the exposure he gets at the MassMutual Center will snowball, leading to more showings and gallery displays.

“I’m working hard to get attention from national galleries,” he said. “I feel like this show is a big step in that direction.”

If you can’t make it to Springfield to see Wyatt’s larger-than-life prints, you can see them from home.

Last year, Wyatt published a book of his photography. “Reflections” collects 78 photos, the earliest dating back to 1997. While some were shot on film, and others after he switched to digital photography, they all have a common theme — they’re all reflections.

“Reflections” is available at Word Eye Bookshop in Greenfield, at Bruce’s Browser in Athol, at the Warwick Free Public Library, at Salmon Falls Artisans’ Showroom in Shelburne Falls and at www.amazon.com.

Wyatt’s work will be joined by selections from a pictorial songbook by Imo Imeh, Faith Lund’s layered acrylic paintings, environmental charcoal art installations by Lydia Kann Nettler, and Laura Radwell’s abstract mixed-media art.

Thursday’s free reception is open to the public. There will be hors d’oeuvres, as well as a cash bar.

You can reach David Rainville at: drainville@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 279